[MichaelGlass]

Programming jobs aren't inherently stressful. There are jobs that have innate stress, e.g. anything with strict time & attention requirements. E.g. driving, cooking, surgery. Programming jobs tend to have stress because of stressful personalities rather than innate need. Even in high-stakes situations, e.g. "fire fighting" where _urgency_ matters, stress / stressful personalities often throw a wrench in the machine.

I also think that how much stress you want is a matter of taste. Some folks prefer the pressure cooker. I'm not knocking stress, I just think that's a culture thing not a requirement.

When it comes to job interviews, there are so many ways to write somebody off, but all I'm looking for is: - major deal breakers. e.g. too mean, irresponsible, too many bad habits - major wins, e.g. they bring something to the team we don't have.

The default posture of most candidates is uncomfortable and stressed. Being able to evaluate them often means trying to make them more comfortable. If whiteboard interviews are more prone to inducing stress, that's worth knowing.